Rest In Peace, Sweet Lady

Friday I received a call from a Lisa asking if I had any photographs of a lady named Josie. I knew I had some but did not have time to look for them and I told the person calling I would need to get back to her. My thought was that a surprise birthday, an anniversary, some festive occasion was being planned and the photographs were needed.

I found three pictures and e-mailed them to Lisa and she told me she was able to use them on a board she was preparing for Josie. I wondered if it was a party, why wasn't I invited? I told myself that there was no reason for me to be invited because I did not know Josie well. I saw her a few times at the Young at Heart gatherings and I probably spoke to her three or four times as I took her picture. She had an accent that made me listen twice as
hard as I tried to grasp what she was telling me. The get together was probably for her close and dear friends.

This morning, after mass, I picked up the church bulletin, and saw under the Please Pray for Those Who Have Died that Josie VanMoorsel's name was listed. It became clear why the pictures were needed and I was surprised and shocked I had not heard about her death. When I returned home from mass I called Lisa and her husband informed me that Josie had passed away a week ago Saturday and a rosary would be this Sunday evening at Mt. Olivet and the funeral was planned for 2 p.m. on Monday, June 23, 2014.

I called someone who knew her better than I did and she told me Josie belonged to several groups at the church; decorating committee, small church group community, rosary making, and Young at Heart. I was told that there may have been other groups she belonged to because Josie was quite active. She would have been ninety years old on June 19 and flowers that had been ordered for her birthday had to be changed for a funeral wreath. I had to smile at the story her friend told me about what Josie had told her.  "I was talking to Fr. Jacob and I told him, I don't understand why people say they don't understand me."  He smiled and said, "That's okay, Josie, they tell me the same thing." It sounds to me as if she had a sense of humor.

Rest in Peace, sweet lady,
I am glad I knew you, if only, briefly.

Monday, June 23, 2014 at 2 p.m the funeral mass was celebrated by Fr. Jacob. A very uplifting mass with wonderful memories and funny incidents. She was born in the Netherlands, lived in Holland, became a mid-wife, got married, had three children, divorced in 1977, became a cook, and loved to knit. She was an active member of Young At Heart. At mass the music was beautiful along with the prayers. After mass, lunch was served and flowers and pictures were displayed for everyone to enjoy.